The Queen has congratulated a West Midlands newspaper after it celebrated its 150th anniversary on Wednesday, 8 August.

Her Majesty offered her “warm good wishes” to the Tamworth Herald, which has marked a century-and-a-half in print, in a letter from her assistant private secretary Tom Laing-Baker.

The Herald, which has twice won the Newspaper of the Year accolade at the Press Club-organised Midlands Media Awards, splashed on the milestone in its birthday edition, pictured, and also ran a special 24-page supplement honouring the occasion.

The supplement includes a story about the Queen’s letter, a feature on the history of the paper, a look back at all the editors and goodwill messages from the town’s dignitaries.

There are also nine pages of pictures of the Herald offices, presses and staff from through the years, memories of a former editor and photographers, and a piece on a couple of the paper’s oldest readers.

The edition also features a back page sports feature about how a letter to the Herald was the starting point for the formation of Tamworth Football Club.

Executive editor Charlotte Hart said: “It has been a delight to serve the community of Tamworth and surrounding areas over the years.

“While the paper – and the world of media in general – has changed considerably during our history, a desire to bring communities together in an informed and professional manner still remains our top priority.

“We are very proud to be a local newspaper and still strongly value the important role we play within our town.

“To reach 150 years is a remarkable achievement and we hope our readers enjoy reading about our history, as much as we have enjoyed putting the supplement together.”